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Tag: JAMB

  • Niger state college of education wins first JAMB football tourney

    Niger state college of education wins first JAMB football tourney

    Niger State College of Education, Minna has won the first JAMB tertiary institutions football competition, held in Ilorin.

    College of Education, Minna defeated Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto by 4-3 via penalties after a goalless draw during regulation.

    In the third place match played earlier, Delta State University (DELTSU), Abraka defeated Kwara State College of Education, Oro, 4-2 on penalties, having played a one-all draw after 90 minutes.

    In his message, the Minister of Sports, Mr Solomon Dalung called on corporate organisations to support government at all levels in sports development.

    Represented by the Kwara Director of Sports Tunde Kazeem,the minister thanked JAMB for its investment in football and urged the board to consider further support to other sporting activities.

    Also speaking, the JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, said the organisation of the tournament was part of Board’s corporate social responsibility.

    Prof. Oloyede who spoke through Dr. Yusuf Lawal, promised that JAMB would continue to partner relevant stakeholders in the development of youths, especially through sports.

  • Ezekwesili: 120 JAMB cut off mark racing from bottom to top

    Ezekwesili: 120 JAMB cut off mark racing from bottom to top

    Former Minister of Education, Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili, yesterday criticised the decision of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to reduce the cut off mark for admission into universities to 120.

    She described it as running a race from top to bottom,  saying the examination body has outlived the purpose for which it was established.

    Ezekweseli told newsmen in Abuja that rather than conduct entrance examination for university admission, JAMB should only play a regulatory role while universities are granted autonomy to conduct their entrance examinations to determine the quality of students they want to admit.

    She said: “I will say no and there has to be much more intensity in determining the qualification attribute should be and once we do that, it will set us way back to early child education.

    “When I see society screening about this cut off mark they have done, I say you are wasting tears on a symptom.

    “You need to go to the root of the problem and that means we need to go back to the first phase in education, which is early child care, basic education and secondary education which ultimately determine the readiness of our children to university education.”

    She explained that the idea of establishing JAMB was that in a federal system, the government wanted to find a means of equalising standards to ensure that you set the bar in a way that brings in everybody.

    According to her, “What you then have to look at is, does it continue to be relevant as a standard setting mechanism to actually determine who gets to what university and how? I would say not anymore.

    “What we need to do not is to make the role of JAMB as an exam regulatory body and to grant the universities the kind of autonomy that would enable them determine the kind of students they want in their universities and the level of academic achievement that they must have to enter their universities and to do in such a way that you do not identify mediocrity.

    “The way to do it is to ensure that the quality of the products of each university is traced by society and rewarded according to their accomplishment.

    “When that begins to happen, universities that are busy taking lowly class people into their system will not be places people want to go to.”

    She went on:  “There will be that law of natural selection on the basis of competitiveness.

    “What we have sacrificed in this society is the idea of competitiveness.

    “Competition is the factor that drives creativity, innovation and excellence. As long as we go on a race to the bottom, we will never be a great nation.”

    Throwing more light on the cut off mark, the former Minister said: “I think there are really issues in terms of determining the bench mark for the qualified students of our tertiary institutions.

    “But I don’t think that we are addressing it in the more fundamental ways it needs to be addressed.

    “What exactly is the score in a JAMB exam? What does it really mean? I think that we need to be even more robust in determining that.

    “There are basic objective questions but there should be a way that decentralises the capacity of universities to determine the qualification and character in competency and cognitive ability of those that they would admit.

    “As we go into a new global economic state in the world, it will not be sufficient that those who score between 120 and 180 become the standard.

    “They are not setting your ceiling, they are setting your floor.

    “But what we should ask is whether the floor of 120 is sufficient to give a university the right raw materials to train in other to make them world class human capital.

    “I will say no and there has to be much more intensity in determining the qualification attribute should be and once we do that, it will set us way back to early child education.”

  • Varsity defies JAMB, sets 170 mark for admission

    The Federal University in Gusau (FUGUS) has set 170 as cut-off mark for the 2017/2018 admission into the institution, against the minimum 120 set by JAMB.

    The Information Officer of the University, Malam Umar Usman, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gusau yesterday that the authorities of the university took the decision.

    He said the cut-off mark was set after data showed that most of the candidates who applied for admission into the university scored 120 and above in their JAMB exams.

    He said the university was only given a quota to admit 1,500 students through JAMB and Direct Entry for the coming academic session.

    Over 5,000 applicants applied for admission into the university.

    “If we will stick to the 120 minimum cut off marks given by the JAMB, majority of applicants who are going to attend the University’s aptitude test for the admission will not get it,” he said.

    “We decided to minimize the difficulty by raising our points to 170 so that most of those that will pay for the post UTME in the university will gain admission.”

  • NANS threatens to call for JAMB scrapping over cut-off mark

    NANS threatens to call for JAMB scrapping over cut-off mark

    The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has threatened to call for the scrapping of Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) if it fails to reverse the low cut off mark for admission into universities and polytechnics in the country.

    NANS National Public Relations Officer, Bestman Okereafor, stated this in statement in Enugu on Saturday.

    He said if the demand of the association, the most important stakeholder in the education sector was not met in reasonable time, it would call for the scrapping of JAMB.

    He said: “Conclusively NANS will not hesitate to call for the scrapping of JAMB if the decision is not withdrawn without further delay.

    “The national leadership of the apex students governing body, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), frowned at the drastic reduction of the JAMB unified cut off mark to 120, for admission into Nigeria universities.

    “NANS sees this as a means of further degrading the level of the already falling and failing academic performance and excellence in Nigeria institutions.

    “In lieu of this, NANS under the able leadership of the proactive NANS president, Comrade Aruna Kadiri, is calling on JAMB to reverse this inimical act without further delay or face the anger of Nigerian students.”

    NAN

     

     

  • Admission processes for 2017/2018 commence Sept 15 — JAMB

    The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) said yesterday that the admission processes for 2017/2018 will commence on September 15 and close on January 31, 2018.

    The Head of JAMB Information and Media, Dr Fabian Benjamin,  said in Abuja  that the direct entry applications for admission would close on September 15.

    He explained that students could only secure admission after they might have passed through the rudiments of admission processes.

    He explained the process thus: “We have come up with the Central Admission Processing System (CAPS) this year.
    “This entails that once candidates are admitted and the institution approves, then JAMB will approve. The information about the candidates will be keyed into CAPS automatically.

    “Candidates can monitor their admission process through CAPS online and those who want to get admission letter can do so by printing such online.’’

    According to him, CAPS will make record gathering easy and give easy access to students to print their admission letters, among other things.

    “What we are trying to do now is that we are looking at the perimeter realistically; we decided to come up with a new strategy aimed at ensuring the actual data,”he said.

    Benjamin also said that the 120 minimum cut-off mark would not in any way affect the nation’s educational standard negatively as being alleged by some people.

    He said that the issue of the 120 cut-off mark was a policy of heads of tertiary institutions across the country, being the outcome of their policy meeting recently.

    “The cut-off mark was not the decision of JAMB, but the heads of tertiary institutions at the policy meeting.
    “They decided that their institutions should be allowed to determine their own cut-off point based on their own peculiarities, but nobody for whatever reason should go below 120,”he said.

    Benjamin explained that the sustenance of post-UTME was a ministerial decision.
    According to him, we are not opposed to the directive; we see nothing wrong with it; and our interest is to ensure that the goal of admission is achieved.

    He said: “What we are all doing is to ensure that the power given to tertiary institutions is based on policies which established them.’’

    According to him, the important thing is for tertiary institutions to do what is right.
    He noted that most tertiary institutions did not comply with the previous 180 cut-off mark that was given last year.

  • Polytechnic lecturers knock JAMB over cut-off mark

    Polytechnic lecturers knock JAMB over cut-off mark

    The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) said on Friday the new cut-off mark for admission into universities, polytechnics, monotechnics and colleges of education would adversely affect the standard of education in the country.

    The president of ASUP, Usman Dutse, said in Lagos the union did not buy the decision of JAMB and what it intended to achieve with the development.

    The JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, had on Tuesday announced 120 as minimum cut-off point for admission into degree-awarding institutions in the country.

    The cut-off mark for admission into polytechnics and colleges of education was fixed at 100.

    Oloyede, however, said the institutions are at liberty to raise their cut off marks for admission above the minimum benchmark set by the board.

    Dutse, in his reaction, said, “We believe that the cut-off mark is too low, and if adopted by institutions, will affect standard and value will be eroded.

    “In the past, for various institutions we have in Nigeria, even the 180 cut-off mark approved by JAMB was found too low and now they are bringing it down to 120-100.

    “For any examination in the world and any global ranking, there is nowhere 25 per cent is used as pass mark.

    “We do not know what the bases are and what it (JAMB) intends to achieve.

    “The suggested cut-off mark is not good for the development of education and the candidates,’’ the ASUP president said.

    He faulted JAMB on its position that the cut-off mark is a minimum benchmark and institutions can increase it.

    The ASUP chief said if that was the case, institutions should be allowed to admit and set examinations for candidates.

    NAN

  • 2017/18 admission processes commence September 15 – JAMB

    2017/18 admission processes commence September 15 – JAMB

    The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) said on Friday that the admission processes for 2017/2018 would commence on September 15 and close on January 31, 2018.

    The Head of JAMB Information and Media, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, said in Abuja that the direct entry applications for admission would close on September 15.

    He said students could only secure admission after they might have passed through the rudiments of admission processes.

    He said: “We have come up with Central Admission Processing System (CAPS) this year.

    “This entails that once candidates are admitted and the institution approves, then JAMB will approve, the information about the candidates will be keyed into CAPS automatically.

    “Candidates can monitor their admission process through CAPS online and those who want to get admission letter can do so by printing such online.’’

    According to him, CAPS will make record gathering easy and give easy access to students to print their admission letters among other things.

    “What we are trying to do now is that we are looking at the perimeter realistically; we decided to come up with new strategy aimed at ensuring the actual data,” he added.

    Benjamin also said the 120 minimum cut-off mark would not in any way affect the nation’s educational standard negatively as being alleged by some people.

    He said the issue of the 120 cut-off mark was a policy of heads of tertiary institutions across the country, being the outcome of their policy meeting recently.

    “The cut off mark was not the decision of JAMB, but the heads of tertiary institutions at the policy meeting.

    “They decided that their institutions should be allowed to determine their own cut-off point based on their own peculiarities, but nobody for whatever reason should go below 120,” the JAMB spokesman stated.

    Benjamin said the sustenance of post- UTME was a ministerial decision.

    According to him, we are not opposed to the directive, we see nothing wrong with it, and our interest is to ensure that the goal of admission is achieved.

    “What we are all doing is to ensure that the power given to tertiary institutions is based on policies which established them,’’ he said.

    According to him, the important thing is for tertiary institutions to do what is right.

    He noted that most tertiary institutions did not comply with the previous 180 cut-off mark given last year.

  • NANS rejects JAMB’s admission cut-off marks

    NANS rejects JAMB’s admission cut-off marks

    The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has rejected the cut-off points for admission into tertiary institutions, describing the reduction as a gross misplacement of priority and exercise in futility.

    NANS Vice President Olamide Odumosu, spoke at a protest by the group at the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in Bwari, on Thursday.

    Odumosu said that the reduction in the cut-off points would only lead to corruption as well as worsen the level of academic performance of students.

    He added that NANS had supported the present administration in its fight against corruption, but the recent development was an act of exploitation on Nigerian students.

    “JAMB in conjunction with Vice Chancellors and Provosts is exploiting Nigerian students, thereby reducing the level of education in the country.

    “JAMB giving us 120 as a cut-off mark for Nigeria universities is a slap to our country.”

    Odumosu added that the association would mobilise students across the 36 states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to stage a protest if nothing was done to all of their plights.

    Also, Idowu Odebunmi, National Public Relations Officer of the association, accused the board of conniving with Vice Chancellors in bastardising the standards of Nigerian education.

    Ajayi also said that the increment in the regularisation fees by the board from N5,000 to N10,000 should be reviewed.

    Inscriptions like: ‘‘NANS say no to 120 cut-off marks,’ ‘say no to corruption in our education sector,’ ‘say no to post UTME fraud,’’ were written on the placards carried by the group.

    Meanwhile, the National President of the association, Chinonso Obasi has condemned the cut-off marks reduction by JAMB and stakeholders.

    Obasi, in a statement, said the review from 180 for universities and 165 polytechnics, now 120 and 100, respectively was uncalled for.

    According to him, knowledge acquisition is a function of determination and hard work.

    “And so, if over the years, students were able to work hard to meet cut-off points, it doesn’t make any logical sense to now lower the standard.”

    He added that the inability of any student to meet the cut-off points was a function of outright indolence that should not be encouraged.

    According to him, the general phenomenon is that Nigerian graduates are not employable, lowering of standard will translate to a disastrous outcome in the future by churning out young people, who cannot fit into the labour demands and expectations of the 21st century.

    “Nigerian youths are intelligent and willing to learn because of the enabling environment provided by tertiary institutions abroad.

    “The 21st century is driven by innovation and competitiveness.

    “So, lowering the entering level into tertiary institutions will further contribute to reducing the productivity and peak performance of young people seeking admission into the country’s higher institutions of learning.”

    He, however, said that the challenge of the tertiary institutions in Nigeria was not in the prospects of entering, but largely dependent on the numerous challenges within the various institutions.

    Obasi decried the high level of inconsistencies in policy formulation and implementation in the educational sector.

    He called on government to mainstream and benchmark global best practices in educational policy formulation and implementation.

    He said that as critical stakeholders in the educational sector, the student body would vehemently resist the review.

    Obasi urged government to maintain status quo and endeavour to conduct a comparative study and analysis of policies from other climes that supports functional learning.

    However, Dr Yusuf Lawal, Director of Test Administration of the board, while addressing the group, said JAMB was ready to look at some of the issues.

    Lawal explained that the cut-off marks were unanimously decided by stakeholders at its policy meeting on Aug. 22 in Abuja.

    He added that JAMB would put some of the issues on a roundtable on re-engineering to reduce some of the cost in admission fees.

    “For the cut-off point, JAMB is a clearing house for tertiary institutions. The set up of the board is not to take over process or mandate of the tertiary institutions.

    “It was the tertiary institutions that met and that we should not dissipate energy on publicity, multiplicity of exam and multiplicity of admission.

    “We are already looking at how we can reduce application fee of the coming year,” he said.

    Lawal, however, said that it was not mandatory that everybody who scored 120 would be given admission but rather admission would be dependent on available courses in the tertiary institutions.

    JAMB had on Aug. 22 reduced university cut-off to 120, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education to 100 at a policy meeting with the Vice Chancellors, Rectors and Provosts of higher institutions in the country.

    NAN reports that Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, Registrar, JAMB, had at the policy meeting of the stakeholders of tertiary institutions in Abuja disclosed the reduction of cut off mark to 120.

  • Mix reactions greet JAMB cut-off mark

    Mixed reactions have greeted the new cut off mark for university admission by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) fixed at 120 score.
    The board also pegged entry qualifications benchmark into polytechnics, colleges of education and monotechnics at 100. But candidates seeking degree admission into the colleges of education must equally possess 120 like that of the universities.
    An admission seeker, Toluwase Olayiwola who sat for the last JAMB exam hailed the decision saying ” it would give more students the opportunity to be able to gain admission into different institutions.”
    ” People are not going to schools again just to get certificates but just to get experience because the educational sector is nothing to write home about,” she said.
    Another prospective  university student, Joseph Mary, said she was happy with the cut off mark but noted that some  federal universities would not comply with it.
    “The likes of University of Ibadan, Obafemi Awolowo University, University of Lagos will not,” she stated adding that the best thing JAMB can do is to make sure all federal universities comply with the pegged cut off mark.
    Michael Anthony in an interview with The Nation however faulted the decision noting that  “it is dullards that will gain admission into the institutions?
    “The cut off mark is too low. How on earth will JAMB announce a cut off mark like that. I wonder how the screening will be.
    “The Joint Admission Matriculation Board is giving all dick, Tom and harry access  into the University and this will increase the crime rate some tertiary institutions. It will cause overcrowding in the university. Even the university does not have what it takes to accommodate large number of students,”  he said.
  • JAMB, VCs peg varsity entry cut-off mark at 120

    JAMB, VCs peg varsity entry cut-off mark at 120

    THE Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, in collaboration with vice chancellors, rectors and provosts of higher institutions, yesterday pegged the minimum cut-off mark for admission into universities at 120.

    They also approved 100 as the minimum cut-off mark for admissions into polytechnics.

    No higher institution is expected to go below these minimum cut-off marks.

    The board and the heads of higher institutions unanimously reached the decision at a combined policy meeting on admissions in Abuja.

    The cut-off marks are against the 180 approved during the same policy meeting for last year.

    The stakeholders agreed that admission into first choice universities should close on October 15 and December 15 was set as the deadline for second choice admission by institutions.

    JAMB Registrar Prof. Is-haq Oloyede said universities, with this decision, should not go below the approved minimum 120  cut-off point.

    Oloyede called for the adoption of flexible cut-off marks for admission by higher institutions.

    He said: “What JAMB has done is to recommend. We will only determine the minimum, whatever you determine as your admission cut-off mark is your decision.

    “The Senate and academic boards of universities should be allowed to determine their cut-off marks.

    Prof. Oloyede, who said the board discovered over 17,160 illegally admitted students by higher institutions, added that the agency has regularised some of them.

    “Thirty per cent of those in higher institutions do not take jamb or have less than the cut-off marks.

    “The admission process is now automated with direct involvement of the registrar of JAMB for final approval.

    “We have agreed to regularise admissions that were done under the table this year. From next year, we will not accept anything like that,” he added.

    Minister of Education Adamu Adamu admitted that the Federal Government’s ban on examinations usually organised by universities for admission seekers after the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) as a mistake.

    The minister said the government banned the conduct of post-UTME because the examination had become an avenue for corruption in some higher institutions.

    Malam Adamu, who encouraged higher institutions to conduct aptitude tests for candidates seeking admission, pegged the fee for the test at N2000.

    He said: “I must restate this administration’s zero tolerance for corruption and zero tolerance for exploitation. Because in line with this and with the best intention that I announced the cancellation of the conduct of post UTME las year.

    “At that time, it had become an avenue for exploitation and it was a burden for many parents. However, following that cancellation, some institutions resulted in using SSCE and this led to faking and falsification of results and the inflation of grades and this led to reconsideration of the exercise.”